Of all civilizations, the Aztecs have the strongest Monks, having access to all religious technologies and getting an extra 5 HP for each one researched. If every technology is researched, Aztec Monks have 95 HP - more than twice as much as a regular Monk (45 HP with Sanctity). The Slavs, Saracens, and Spanish also have very good Monks and technologies that benefit their Monks. Teuton and Byzantine Monks are also among the best, as they can be fully upgraded at the Monastery and also have bonuses that affect them.